intro to sociology ch. 4

macrosociology

analysis of the macrosocial. broad features of society like the class system. primarily functionalists and conflict theorists

microsociology

analysis of the microsocial. focusing on social interaction in small groups. primarily symbolic interactionists

social structure

the framework that surrounds us, consisting of the relationships of people and groups, which gives us direction to and sets limits on behavior. social structure guides our behavior. anything that structures or gives shape to social interaction

culture

the broadest framework that shapes the people we become

norms

rules that govern social interaction and conduct

social location

the corners in life that people occupy because of where they are located in society

class

social locations that influence our behaviors, ideas, and attitudes

social class

social location based on income, education, and occupation. large numbers of people who have similar amounts of income, education, and who work in comparable occupations are in the same class

weber's definition of class

a large category of people who rank similarly to one another in terms of thinking like wealth, prestige, and power

power

the ability of a social actor to achieve goals in spite of or against the resistance of others

capitalists

Marx identified them as those who own the means of production

workers

those who sell their labor in order to make a living

status (henslin)

the position (location) someone occupies in society or in a social group

status (weber)

positive or negative social estimation of honor

status set

the constellation of statuses that a person occupies throughout their life. occupying many different social positions at once. ex. student, employee, member, etc.

ascribed status

involuntary status. something we are born into or involuntarily acquire throughout life

achieved status

voluntary status. someone had to do some activity in order for it to result in a certain status

status symbols

outward markers of status such as items that announce status to others.

conspicuous leisure

the non-productive use of time as an outward display of status

master status

cuts across the other statuses that you hold. the status through which others evaluate and identify you the most. other statuses are "filtered" through the master status

status inconsistency

ranking high on some dimensions and low on others

role

the behaviors, obligations, and privileges, attached to a status. the expectations for how a person of a given status is to act

group

people that have something in common and who believe that they have something in common. consist of people that interact regularly with each other and share similar norms, values, and expectations

in-groups

groups towards which we feel loyalty

out-groups

groups towards which we feel antagonism

social institutions

ways or patterns developed in societies to meet a variety of needs. function to meet both systemic needs and individual needs

the family

regulates production and socializes and protects children

religion

encourages social integration by instilling in people common values and beliefs. it also contributes to social control by promising rewards for adherence to norms and promising punishment for violation of social norms

education

transmits knowledge and skills across generations

economy

produces and distributes goods and services

polity

allocates power, determines authority, maintains order

functionalism

institutions provide vital functions for society. there are things that all societies must do in order for those societies to persist

examples of functional requisites

replacement, socialization, production and distribution of goods and services, preservation of order, and provision of meaning or sense of purpose

conflict theory

social institutions do not work harmoniously for the common good. powerful groups in society manipulate institutions in order to maintain their own position of privilege

solidarity

the degree to which people are united by shared values and other social bonds. moral consensus, collective consciousness

anomie

moral confusion. egotism (individualism)

Gemeinschaft

refers to a group of individuals mainly characterized by a sense of common identity, close personal relationships, and an attachment to traditional and sentimental concerns. Translated as community. Emotions and sentiments drive social ties and interactions. Has implicit rules. Common in rural, small scale, homogeneous societies. Achieves its equilibrium through morals, social control, and conformism.

Gesellschaft

refers to a group of people mainly characterized by impersonal relations, formal organization, the absence of generally held or binding norms, and a detachment from traditional and sentimental concerns. Translated as society. Rationality is the driving factor. Has explicit rules. Common to large scale, industrial, and cosmopolitan societies. Achieves its equilibrium through laws, police, tribunals, and prisons.

stereotypes

assumptions of what people are like, whether true or false. might be related to pre-judgements (prejudice) or predefinitions of people according to things like gender, class, race, ethnicity, or age

public space

8+ feet

social space

4-8 feet

personal space

2-4 feet

intimate space

Erving Goffman

symbolic interactionalist. three of his important works include the presentation of self in everyday life, asylums: essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates, and stigma: notes on the management of spoiled identity

role performance

how a role is played out by an actor in a setting within the limits that the role provides

front stage

the space in which the role is performed

back stage

where we step out of role performances. the credibility of our role performance depends on our success at keeping front stage and back stage separate

audience

who it is we perform the role for

face saving behavior

techniques used by performers to salvage a performance that is going poorly

studied non observance

audience ignores flaws in role performance

teamwork (performance team)

collaboration of two or more people to manage impressions jointly

role conflict

conflicts someone feels between roles because the expectations attached to one role are incompatible with the expectations of another role

role segregation

our efforts to compartmentalize our roles in order to avoid role conflict and so maintain the credibility of our role performances

role strain

conflicts that someone feels within a single role

sensible social world

a community of communities where people form relationships

total institution

formal organizational setting where there is a population of people who are more or less cut off from the outside world. has administrators that control the institution to reach whatever the goal of the institution is

stigma

used to refer to an attribute that is deeply discrediting, but it should be seen that a language of relationships, not attributes, is really needed

abominations of the body

the various physical deformities. in other words, possession of bodies that fall outside the norm of what a normal body is or should do. integrity of body image

blemishes of individual character

perceived as weak will, domineering or unnatural passions, treacherous and rigid beliefs, and dishonesty, these being inferred from a known record of, for example, mental disorder, imprisonment, addiction, alcoholism, homosexuality, unemployment, suicidal attempts, and radical political behavior

tribal

race, nation, and religion. class can also be tribal stigma

thomas theorem

"if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences". this means that we act according to our definitions of situations

social construction of reality

the process whereby people continuously create, through their actions and interactions, a shared reality that is experienced as objectively factual and subjectively meaningful